Live and Learn
by Shadow Hybrid
Summary: Frodo and Tansy try their best to keep their children from all the scorn and ridicule they had to suffer. Continuation of MaddyLakeDeep's 'Fragile Choices' trilogy.
1. New Life

Live and Learn 

Aurora Baggins

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Tolkien's characters and I don't own Calla and Tansy. They belong to MaddyLakeDeep. I only own young Caleb.

Ch.1-New Life

A crisp morning dawned on the home of the Baggins and Gamgee hole. And what a glorious morning it was because just moments earlier a new life arrived at Bag End.

Young Calla and Elanor sat at the foot of the exhausted Tansy's bed, marveling at the new arrival. Calla was just about to jump onto the bed to see her new sibling, but was restrained by Rosie.

Frodo stood beside the bed smiling fondly at his wife and their brand new son, Caleb Baggins.

"Congratulations you two," Sam said from the doorway.

Rose nodded in agreement and smiled at her friend.

Tansy smiled wearily back and laid her head back on the pillow as she cradled the newborn baby.

"Mama?" said a nearby voice. "Can I hold him?"

Frodo and Tansy looked to see an eager Calla sitting on the bed eyeing her new brother with curiosity.

Tansy gently slipped the babe into Calla's arms and Caleb immediately snuggled deeper into the folds of his older sister's sleeve.

"He's so small," Elanor said as she stroked the baby's round, pudgy cheek.

"So his name's Caleb? That's such a lovely name," Rosie said.

Frodo and Tansy nodded.

The group was surprised when young Caleb suddenly woke up and immediately started crying for his mother.

"Well you two," Sam said over the cries, "We should leave Mr. Frodo and Tansy alone so they can rest."

Elanor and Calla were sad after Caleb was given back to Tansy and slowly began shuffling out the door. Rosie followed.

Just before Sam left he said, "I'm really happy for you two."

"Thank you, Sam," Frodo said quietly at seeing that Caleb had finally fallen asleep.

Sam nodded and left the couple alone in their bedroom.

"He's such a beautiful little thing, isn't he?" Tansy said, smiling at her husband.

Frodo nodded and set himself on the bed next to Tansy.

"I hope that these two grow up to have normal lives," mumbled Frodo.

Tansy looked worriedly at Frodo and quickly said,

"We'll just raise them like any other parent and hopefully they will."

"I just don't want Calla and Caleb to suffer. I don't want them to live with the scorn that we had to live with," Frodo said, sadly.

Tansy reached up and laid a hand on Frodo's pale cheek.

"They won't, Frodo. They won't," she promised.

Frodo leaned into the touch, closed his eyes and smiled warmly.

He embraced Tansy and got up from the bed. Frodo bent down and touched his son's small hand before heading out the door.

Tansy watched as Frodo left, then wearily flopped her back onto the pillow. She certainly hoped they could keep Calla and Caleb safe from all the ridicule. She really did.

TBC…

A/N: I know that there is no way in the world I could ever best MaddyLakeDeep's writing, but I tried. If anyone was wondering, yes this is a continuation to Maddy's 'Fragile Choices' trilogy. She gave me permission to use her characters in this story and I tried my best to copy her style of writing. I hope that those of you who read this story liked it. Please leave me a review. Thanks tons!

Aurora


	2. Birthday Gone Wrong

Live and Learn 

Ch.2- Birthday Gone Wrong

Aurora Baggins

Disclaimer: I don't own Tolkien's characters or MaddyLakeDeep's. But I own Caleb, so HA!

-

For my pal, MaddyLakeDeep! Thanks so much for your help and encouragement! Happy Valentines Day!

-

"Hey Sis. Sissy, you awake?"

Calla was startled awake by the hoarse whisper so close to her ear. She turned her head and glared at the owner, who now stood back, away from the bed.

"I am now," Calla hissed back, "What do you want, Caleb?"

The two year old hopped onto the bed and smiled a scatter toothed grin at her.

"Guess what today is," he replied, wriggling with excitement.

Too tired to come with anything, Calla shook her and scowled at her little brother for waking her so early.

"What is today?" she asked in annoyance.

"Today's," Caleb began slowly, "your birthday."

He then gave Calla a hug and a large, sloppy kiss and skipped out of the room to tell the rest of the household the good news.

Calla watched her little brother bounce out of the room with wide eyes. And all this time she thought he was only there to annoy her like crazy. She glanced over at her bedside table and took a look at the calendar. Sure enough April 3rd had been circled on that calendarand Calla had completely forgotten about it.

A knock was heard at the door and Tansy's head appeared in the doorway.

"Good morning, sweet-heart. I see Caleb woke you up as well," she said with a smile. "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks, Mama. I'll be out in a minute for breakfast, okay?"

Tansy nodded and left Calla to get dressed and wake up Elanor.

Once Calla was dressed she pounced up on Elanor's bed and began shaking her.

"Wake up, sleepy head! Time for breakfast!" Calla shouted into Elanor's ear.

Elanor groaned and pulled the pillow over her head.

"Just a few more minutes, Calla," came her muffled from somewhere beneath her pillow.

"Come on El. Birthday Girl says up and at 'em," Calla said happily, pulling at her friend's blankets.

Elanor groaned again before lifting her head from under the pillow. She then began to scowl at her friend.

"All right, all right already," she said finally, "I'm up, now leave me alone."

Soon the delectable smells coming from the kitchen began to make their way into the girls' room. Once the two were dressed they both raced for the kitchen. The sweet smells of bacon, eggs, and various other foods making their stomachs rumble.

Once the table had been set and everyone had been seated, a loud "Happy Birthday" song began for the now six year old Calla. A few squeals of laughter also helped the song go along from Rosie and Sam's new son, Frodo-lad.

The singing was suddenly put to a stop when a loud 'THUNK' was heard at the door.

"What in the world was that?" Sam asked.

"It certainly didn't sound good," added Rosie.

Frodo and Tansy glanced at each other before Frodo rose from his chair to see what had made the noise.

"I'll be right back," he said. "Excuse me everyone."

The group watched Frodo leave, each wearing equally confused looks at what the noise could've have been.

Frodo opened the round door and looked around. At first he didn't notice anything, but then he saw a rather large stone sitting next to a broken flowerpot.

'Sam's not going to be too happy about that,' Frodo thought to himself with a smile.

The smile quickly vanished from his face when he picked up the stone and saw the small slip of paper tied to it. As he read the note his face turned a faint shade of pink in anger.

Frodo then shoved the note angrily into his pocket and walked slowly back to where his family was waiting. It took a considerable amount of self-control to keep his anger in check.

"What was it, Frodo?" Tansy asked when Frodo had resumed his place at the table.

Frodo only shook his head and wouldn't say a word. Calla glanced over at her dad and noticed the stiffness in his jaw, which usually meant that he was mad. Also his fists were clenching and unclenching beneath the table.

After breakfast, Sam and Rosie began washing the dishes, which left everyone else to go off on their own.

Frodo and Tansy made their way to their bedroom so they could have a little talk. Once inside, Tansy gently shut the door and turned toward her husband.

"All right, Frodo," she said sternly, "Tell me what happened."

Frodo sighed and seated himself at the edge of the bed. He then slowly pulled the now crumpled note from his pocket and handed it to his wife.

"Here, read this," he said quietly.

Tansy took the note and began to read it. This is what it said:

'Hey Queer Baggins! Nice to have you back with us. Why don't you take your corrupted family and yourselfaway from hereand leave us be!'

Tansy's jaw fell open and her face turned a pasty white. She sat down next to Frodo and let theletter fall to the ground. Frodo held his face in his hands.

This was going to be harder then they thought.

TBC…

A/N- Well everyone, sorry it took so long, but I finally updated. As usual school has been taking up a lot of my time and I've been having some personal issues as well and haven't been writing much. But anyway, Happy Valentines Day to everyone! Let me know what you think of this. Thanks!

Aurora


	3. Farmer's Market

**Live and Learn**

**Ch.3- Farmer's Market**

**Aurora Baggins**

**Disclaimer:** Nothing but Caleb is mine. Everything else is either Tolkien's or MaddyLakeDeep's.

Calla watched out of the corner of her eye as Tansy and Frodo walk off toward the bedroom. She heard the door click shut softly and hopped down from her seat and tiptoed over to the door. She gently pressed her ear to the wooden surface and strained to hear anything from the other side. Calla only heard muffled whispers and tried harder to hear more. Suddenly her concentration was broken when someone gave out a loud shout behind her.

"Sis!" Caleb called to her from the kitchen. The two year old bounded up to her excitedly and smiled widely when he reached his older sister.

"What is it?" Calla asked with a soft sigh.

"I made you something for your birthday!" Caleb replied proudly as he began to rummage around in his trouser pockets. When the young Baggins finally found what it was he was looking for he his grin became wider and he gently pulled it out.

"Here," said Caleb, holding out a folded up piece of paper to Calla.

Calla looked down at it for a moment before gingerly taking it from her sibling and unfolding it. She smiled softly and as she glanced at the picture drawn on it. It was a drawing of Caleb and her playing around in Uncle Sam's garden when it was in full bloom. Caleb had been trying his hardest to capture a butterfly fluttering by he had drawn that in his picture.

"This is lovely," Calla told her little brother. "Thank you!" She stepped forward and placed a kiss on Caleb's cheek. He pulled a disgusted look and stuck his tongue out.

"The thank you was enough," he said, rubbing at the spot where Calla had kissed. She giggled and placed the drawing in a pocket of her dress.

Calla's attention was then drawn away from her brother when another voice called out her name.

"Hey, Calla!" It was Elanor.

Calla turned to face her and smiled. "What's going on, El?" she asked.

"I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go to the farmer's market in town with me?" Elanor replied as she walked up to her friend. "Mum gave me a list of things she needed." Elanor began to poke around in the pockets of her small apron.

"I know I put it here somewhere," she mumbled.

Calla laughed softly when she spotted a small piece of paper slide down the hall. "You'd lose your own head if I weren't here," she said playfully as she reached down to pick up the list. Calla handed it to her friend and Elanor smiled sheepishly.

"So… how about it?" Elanor asked again.

"I'll go see if it's all right with my mum and dad," Calla said with a smirk and turned back toward her parents' door.

She hesitated and took a deep breath before knocking softly. Calla heard a soft "Come in" and she slowly opened the door to a pale Tansy and fidgeting Frodo.

"Uh… Would it be all right if I went with Elanor to the farmer's market?" Calla's asked timidly.

"That's fine," Tansy answered.

"Um… Do you want me to get anything?" Calla wondered taking a small step into the room.

Frodo and Tansy shook their heads and Calla left. Before shutting the door, Calla told her parents that she would bring Caleb with her. They said nothing so she slid the door shut and turned back to Elanor. Her friend looked slightly confused but shrugged it off took Calla's arm and led her down the hall.

"Caleb!" Calla shouted. "Come on, we're going into to town!"

Soon, Caleb came running out and skidded to a halt in front of his sister and Elanor.

"What are we going into town for?" he asked excitedly.

"El has to go pick some things up for Aunt Rosie," Calla told him as she ruffled his unruly brown curls. He shook his head and headed down the hall and waited at the front door for the girls.

Elanor grabbed a basket from the kitchen and then they all headed out the door and down the path. The girls watched Caleb run ahead of them and unlatch the gate and continue on down the road. He stopped halfway and waited impatiently for Calla and Elanor to hurry up.

"Come on!" he shouted out to them, tapping his large hobbit feet on the dirt road.

"We're coming!" Calla shouted back to him as she and Elanor giggled softly to themselves.

When the girls finally caught up with Caleb they began their short journey to the market. They could see from afar the tents and booths set up all along the town square. Hobbits were bustling about and shouting out prices and orders to one another. All in all, it made a hectic but cheery atmosphere. Well… for the most part anyway.

The three children wove their way around the crowd as best they could and stopped at one of the larger booths that were selling many different types of fruits. Elanor pulled out the list that her mother given her and read it off.

"Let's see," she said. "We need… oranges, apples, and pears."

Calla nodded and looked around. That's when she noticed that Caleb was nowhere in sight. Her bright blue eyes widened and she glanced around the crowded market frantically. She turned to Elanor and nudged her arm.

"Caleb's disappeared. I'll go look for him," she told her friend. Elanor nodded and watched Calla run off in search for her brother while she waited for the hobbit in charge of the booth to gather the things she needed.

"Caleb!" Calla cried out as she ran. "Caleb!"

Calla's eyes widened when she heard shouts from afar. She ran off faster in the direction of the noises and stopped when she reached a wheat field. The shouts were coming in that direction and she noticed the stalks of wheat swaying from some activity ahead.

"Stop! Please," Calla heard someone plead. It sounded strangely like Caleb's voice.

"Oh… look boys," another voice said, "Baggins here is begging." Laughter echoed through the field and Calla ran faster then before.

When she reached her brother she gasped when she saw a group of older boys leaning in over him. One of them had a fist poised just above his face. Caleb's nose was bleeding and there were several cuts and bruises all over his face.

"Hey!" Calla shouted out to them. "Leave him be!" She stepped forward and shoved the boy on top of Caleb and he landed on his side with a loud grunt. Calla reached down and hauled Caleb onto his feet and stood in front of him, anger blazing in her Caribbean blue eyes.

"I would leave if I were you," she growled at them.

"And what are you going to do… spank us," one of the lads scoffed at her, getting some chuckles from his lackeys.

"Well… will this do?" someone else asked from behind Calla and Caleb. Suddenly a punch was landed right in thenose of the leader of the bullies. He fell back with a cry, his hand gripping his nose and his eyes watering over.

Elanor huffed and shook her hand. "Now…" she said, "Anyone else?" That said the bullies ran off as fast as their legs could carry them.

Calla and her brother stood beside Elanor with wide eyes.

"Wow," Caleb said, amazed. "That was really neat."

Elanor smiled triumphantly and picked up her basket and motioned for Calla and Caleb to follow her. When they reached the end of the field, Calla turned to her friend and said,

"I think we should leave." She pointed to Caleb who was rubbing the blood away from his nose.

Elanor nodded in agreement. "I'll just go pick up the carrots and mushrooms and then we can head home," she said. "You two can stay here until I get back."

"All right," Calla agreed and watched as Elanor walked off toward the booth selling the vegetables.

Calla then turned to her brother and knelt down in front of him. She pulled a kerchief from one of the pockets of her dress and dabbed it on his face.

"Caleb?" Calla asked, "What happened?"

Caleb sniffed and cleared his throat. His light brown eyes watered over as he remembered what the bullies had done to him.

"W-well… I was looking at those really big pumpkins over there," he began, pointing to where the pumpkins were, "when they walked up to me started teasing me. Then they dragged me out to the field and starting yelling at me for things I didn't do and started to hit me really hard. They said I was getting what I deserved."

Calla listened intently to Caleb's tale and nodded when he was finished. She pulled him into a tight hug and stroked his dark brown curls.

"Ready to go?" Elanor asked when she had finished her shopping. Calla let go of her little brother nodded.

The girls and Caleb slowly made their way back up the path to Bag End and headed inside. They called out for their parents and were met by Rosie and Sam. They gasped when they saw little Caleb's face and immediately brought him into the kitchen to get cleaned up.

"Frodo! Tansy!" Rosie shouted out. "I think you should come in here!"

TBC…

A/N- Sorry for the long wait everyone. Like I said earlier, my computer went kaput on me and didn't get fixed until much later. I hope that this chapter makes up for the long wait. Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks!

Aurora


	4. Foreboding Events

**Live and Learn**

**Ch.4-Foreboding Events**

**By Shadow Hybrid **(formerly Aurora Baggins)

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine except Caleb. Tansy and Calla belong to MaddyLakeDeep and everything else is Tolkien's property.

_I would like to dedicate to the person who brought me back to this story, Frodo's girl. Thanks so much for the messages! It is greatly appreciated. Also, I want to give this to my good friend, MaddyLakeDeep, who suffered a rather bad ankle injury not too long ago. Hope you're doing well, my friend! Enjoy this new chapter to a long dormant story!_

Rosie rinsed out the now dirty rag one last time before re-applying it to Caleb's still bloody nose. The young hobbit winced as Rosie pressed it firmly on the bruise forming on the bridge of it. He gritted his teeth to keep from whimpering.

Tansy and Frodo soon burst into the kitchen and stood panting in the doorway. Tansy gasped when she saw her son's face and quickly knelt down in front of him, grasping the damp cloth from Rosie.

"What happened to him?" Frodo asked, eyeing Caleb's bruised and dirty face.

"I-it happened at... at the market," Calla stuttered out.

All the grown hobbits turned and looked at the young lass and she hung her head, not able to look at them. Frodo walked over to her and bent down until he was face to face with his young daughter. He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked straight into her Caribbean-blue eyes.

"Calla?" Frodo said calmly, "What happened?"

Calla took a deep breath and scratched the back of her head nervously. Glancing back up at her father's face, she told him everything that had transpired at the market.

"Well, Elanor and I had stopped in front of one of the booths, ch-checking over her list. I looked up for a minute and didn't see Caleb anywhere. I told Elanor that I was going to go look for him and we agreed to meet up later."

Frodo nodded, urging her to continue.

"I searched over by the vegetable vendors and that's when I heard some noises that sounded like someone fighting out in the wheat fields nearby. I ran through the field until I saw what all the c-commotion was about. A group of lads were surrounding Caleb and were hitting him and… and teasing him."

Calla could hear her mother and Rosie gasp quietly at this and Tansy hugged Caleb to her. Frodo glanced up at his wife then back at Calla.

"What happened next?" he asked; his pale face emotionless, save for the seriousness in his clear water-blue eyes.

"I told them to stop… and they did… for a bit. Then they turned on me and started coming closer. Lucky for me, El showed up and knocked the biggest bully right in the nose. The rest ran off."

Elanor smiled brightly at this and stood up tall, setting the basket down by her feet. Rosie and Sam glanced over at their daughter with a mixture of shock and pride.

"And… that's all I know of," Calla finished. "The rest I'm sure Caleb can tell you."

Frodo and Tansy turned toward the young lad and both knelt down in front of him at the same time. "Caleb… will you tell us what those bullies said to you?" Tansy asked him softly as she gingerly touched his arms.

"Yeah…" Caleb sniffed. "I guess I can."

The two parents nodded and Caleb started his part of the story. "I had gone off to look at some of the really big pumpkins they had. While I was looking, I group of older boys came up to me and just started teasing me."

"What… what exactly did they say?" Frodo asked, his blue eyes widening slightly.

"Th-the oldest boy started saying things like… 'Oh, look guys, it's the Baggins Boy, spawn of the cracked hobbits living in Bag End.' The others would laugh and join in, saying, 'Yeah, bet he's crazy as his mother and father are.'

"I didn't know what they meant by that and I started telling them to stop saying those things. The oldest boy said, 'Hobbits like you shouldn't even open their mouths to us. You'd shut your mouth if you knew what was good for you.'"

Tansy and Frodo gasped when they heard this but remained silent so Caleb could finish his tale.

"I asked them why they would say things like that and why I was any different then them. They all got really mad at me and grabbed the front of my shirt and dragged me into the wheat fields saying stuff about teaching me a lesson in respect and decency. And… that's when Sis found me."

There was a heavy silence in the room for a long while before Caleb and Calla spoke up.

"Mum? Dad?" they said together.

"Dad…? What did they mean by all that stuff?" Caleb asked his father with wide brown eyes.

Frodo's usually brighter blue eyes were now dark, and they held a strange far away look in them. He shook his head when Caleb lightly shook his arm and stared at him with a worried look.

"Frodo?" Tansy asked timidly, her cinnamon brown eyes beginning to brim with tears.

"Kids, why don't you all go to your rooms for a bit, hmm?" Sam said quietly as he ushered the three young hobbits out of the kitchen. "I think Mr. Frodo and Miss Tansy need some time to sort things out."

The three of them nodded and all headed for Calla's room at the end of the hall.

Once the four grown hobbits heard the door click shut, Sam and Rosie led Tansy and Frodo into the sitting room for a much needed discussion.

"Oh dear… what are you we going to do?" Tansy said as she let her tears fall freely down her face and seated herself. "Things are escalating, Frodo."

"I know…" Frodo said in a defeated tone. "I have no idea what we're going to say to them."

"If it's all the same to you, I would just tell them," Sam suggested. "I'm just thinkin' it would be less of a shock if they were able to hear it from you then from some bully in town."

"I agree," Tansy and Rosie said together.

"We won't be able to keep the two of them from the truth for much longer at this rate," Rosie added. "Not to mention Elanor. I bet she's wondering what all this commotion is about just as much as Caleb and Calla."

Frodo nibbled on one of his fingernails and nodded as he listened. "You're right. But… how are we going to tell them?"

TBC…

A/N-_Hiya peeps! Sorry it's been so dang long since my last update on this story. As I had said before, I got a message from a reader telling me that it has been a while since I've updated anything on here, and so, here it is! Chapter four all ready for your reading enjoyment. Hope it's just as good as the rest of the story, especially since it has been so long. Well, please read and review!_

_Aurora _


	5. Quality Time

Live and Learn

Ch. 5- Quality Time

By Shadow Hybrid (formerly Aurora Baggins)

The sun was shining brightly atop the green grass above Bag End and Calla was enjoying every glorious minute of it. She smiled as she stretched her arms above her head and her legs out beyond her. She could hear Caleb running about somewhere near her, most likely chasing more small butterflies around the large tree. The hobbit lass opened her ocean blue eyes a little to look up at the clear blue sky above and she sighed and sat up.

'Who could ask for a better day?' she thought to herself, looking over the expanse of Hobbiton.

"Calla? Where are you, dear?" Tansy called for her daughter, walking out of the front door of the hobbit hole.

"I'm here, Mum!" Calla answered, standing up and walking towards the front of her home. "Did you need something?"

"Oh, there you are," Tansy said with a slight smile. "I just came out here to ask if you'd like to go for a small walk with me?"

Calla smiled at her mother and nodded eagerly. "Of course. Just the two of us, right?"

Tansy nodded as well, patting her daughter's curly red hair gently. "Just you and me, darling. Just let me go and grab a little something from my bedroom and we'll be on our way."

Calla agreed and smiled widely at her mother as she hurried back inside Bag End. Calla spun around for a moment, humming a silly tune to herself as she did. It wasn't very often that she was able to spend time with just her parents without Sam, Rosie, El, or Caleb. It was nice to have alone time once in a while.

"Well?" Tansy said from behind her daughter. "Are we ready?"

Calla turned towards her mother, startled for a moment. "Oh, yes I am," she said after a quick moment. She looked and saw that Tansy was holding a small basket under her arm with the a cover closed tightly, hiding whatever contents were inside.

"What's that for?" Calla asked as the two started their stroll. She poked her face closer to the basket as they went and Tansy pulled it away from her curious daughter with a small laugh.

"It's a surprise," Tansy said, taking Calla's hand and grasping it in her own as they walked.

"Are you sure you don't wanna tell me?" Calla asked, peering behind her mother's skirt at the basket again. "I'll pretend to be surprised later, I promise."

Tansy giggled again, shaking her head. "Sorry, Calla, but you'll just have wait until we reach our destination."

"Is it food? Or a present?" Calla looked up at her mother with shining eyes and a broad smile that lit her innocent face. Tansy looked at her and suddenly felt guilt welling up in her for the terror that the other hobbits would bring to her and her brother. Eventually they would have to tell their two children about their past... but Tansy just wasn't ready for that yet.

"Mum? Are you okay?" Calla's small voice filtered itself in through Tansy's guilty thoughts and she shook her head to get her bearings back and smiled at her daughter.

"Yes, yes. I'm fine now," Tansy answered quickly. She looked ahead and saw the tree she had been heading for during their stroll. The same tree that Frodo and her had had spent many a time at after their marriage. "Well, here we are."

"Where?" Calla wondered, looking about her.

"This spot here," Tansy answered, walking towards the now much taller tree and sat beneath its large branches, enjoying the shade. She set the basket down beside her and tucked the skirt of her dress around her legs and motioned for Calla to come sit beside her.

"Are you going to show me what's in the basket now, Mum?" Calla sat down on her knees, eagerly awaiting to be look inside the basket at what could be hiding inside. She hoped it was treats.

"All right, all right, just hold on a moment," Tansy said as she flipped open the lid and lifted up a few items from it. She held up a swatch of leather and a rolled up ball of wool as well as a sewing needle and thread. There were also several assorted colors of cloth inside as well and a pair of cutting instruments.

"What's all this?" Calla looked inside the basket and pulled out the different colored patches of cloth.

"You know something, Calla? When I was much younger, my mother taught me how to make my own dolls," Tansy said to her own daughter. "I thought you might like to learn as well."

The young hobbit lass shuffled through the pieces of cloth and then glanced up at her mother. She smiled and nodded her head, red curls bouncing around her light colored face. "That would be nice to learn."

Tansy smiled brightly and placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead. "All right then. Now, what I need you to do is hold this ball of wool." She handed the ball to Calla and then took hold of the large piece of leather, wrapping it around the wool ball.

"Now, see where it overlaps at the bottom of the ball, I want you to hold onto that and bunch it up and keep it like that for a moment. I have other little bag type pieces of cloth we can use for arms, legs, and the body," Tansy explained. Calla nodded, watching her mother as she cut and wrapped and sewed the parts together that made up the doll.

Once the body of the doll had been completed, Tansy took it from Calla and then handed her the scissor like tool and the colored pieces of cloth.

"Now, we make this little lady some clothes," Tansy said to Calla. The young lass looked up at her mother in confusion for a moment and then hesitantly picked up the tools.

"All you have to do is cut out the basic shape of the doll's body and make sure to do two sides and we sew the two pieces together to make skirts or shirts or breeches."

Calla nodded and did as her mother had said. Soon, she was able to get a hold of the process and had managed to make the shirt and a pair of breeches for her doll. They then sewed on hair and buttons for eyes and a nose and stitched a make-shift. When they were done, Calla had made her very first doll. She held it out in front of her and smiled at it, thanking her mother countless times.

"I think I'll name her... Iris," Calla decided, hugging her new doll to her chest.

"That's a lovely name," Tansy said, smiling at her daughter as she watched Calla study her handiwork at making the clothes and face. Tansy glanced up at the sky overhead and saw the sunset turning the clouds bright reds and oranges.

"Oh, I think we should be heading back now. It's later than I had thought," Tansy said to Calla, packing everything up into her basket and standing.

Calla nodded and hugged her doll to her chest again and grasped hold her of her mother's hand as they walked back to Bag End. All was quiet on the walk home and Tansy, for some strange reason, felt uneasy about the silence. Her light brown eyes glanced along the sides of the dirt road nervously, but she saw no one menacing around. They made it to the front gate of their hobbit hole with no incident and Tansy let loose a breath of relief and opened the gate.

Suddenly, Mrs. Baggins heard someone near say, "Now!" and her eyes widened. She suddenly saw stones being hurled at her and Calla and she gasped. Sharp pains assaulted her head, arms, and back as she and Calla ran as fast as they could towards the bright green door of Bag End. She flung the door open and slammed it shut behind her and Calla.

"Mum, what was that all about?" Calla asked breathlessly. She was clutching her doll so hard her knuckles were white and her ocean blue eyes were wide with fright.

Tansy could only groan and let her head fall back against the painted wood of their front door, letting her eyes fall shut.

**TBC...**

_**AN - **__Sorry I haven't been around in so long guys, but you know how life loves to give you swift kick in the arse at times? Well, it did that to me... and I had actually managed to forget that I had stories on this site for the longest time. Crazy, isn't it? Well, anyways, I know this probably won't make up for my long absence, but I figured I owed you guys something. Let me know what you think and sorry for the big ace delay!_

_Aurora_


	6. Violent Encounter

**Live and Learn**

**Ch. 6 - Violent Encounter  
**

**By Shadow Hybrid (formerly Aurora Baggins)**

Footsteps could be heard running down the hallway towards the main entrance. They were Frodo's, Tansy could tell. She stepped away from the doorway and set the basket down on the small cushioned bench by the door beneath the coat hangers. She took in long, deep breaths to calm down and then stood to meet her husband.

"Tansy, what's wrong?" Frodo asked, walking briskly over to his wife and daughter. "Is something wrong, I heard a commotion outside just now."

Tansy didn't answer at first but stared into Frodo's blue eyes for a long moment.

"Mama? Daddy? What is going on?" came Calla's voice from beside them. Frodo looked down at his young daughter and wrapped a hand around her shoulder, pulling her close to him. The three hugged for a short moment before a loud banging was heard at the door.

"Now who could that be?" Frodo asked, stepping away from his loved ones to answer the door. Finally, Tansy found her voice.

"Frodo! Don't answer it!" she cried, jumping out and grasping Frodo's shoulder tightly in her small hand. He turned and gazed at her in confusion. She motioned for him to follow her and to Calla as well and led the two into the sitting room.

"Mum? Are you and Calla home?" Caleb's voice could be heard from the kitchen.

"We're here, Caleb!" Calla answered. "Come on into the sitting room."

Caleb came padding along to where his family was sitting, holding baby Frodo-lad in his arms. The baby was sound asleep on his shoulder and Caleb was patting his back lightly.

"Auntie Rose asked me to look after him for a moment while she went out to wash some of the linens," Caleb explained, taking a seat beside his older sister.

The banging continued at the front door and the two children glanced over in towards it. Tansy closed her eyes tightly and winced and Frodo bowed his head, shaking it back and forth. Calla and Caleb watched their parents and felt a nervousness pass over them.

"All right," Calla finally said, standing up and placing her hands on her hips in the most serious way and six-year-old could do. "There's something definitely wrong around here and I want to know what. Now, will you please tell us why all these people have been bothering us lately?"

A sad smile crept over Calla's father's face as he watched his daughter put on her most grown up face she was able to make. He reached a hand out to her and brought her close to him.

"Calla," Frodo began. "There _is _something we've been keeping from you, we were just hoping that it would be better that way, but it just seems to have caused us more trouble..."

Calla placed her head onto Frodo's chest as she listened.

"Well... I-I... went..." But before Frodo was able to finish his statement, the front door burst open, banging against the opposite wall. Shouts were heard in the front hall and the family jumped. Frodo-lad wailed as he woke up and Caleb did his best to calm him while he tried not to wail out himself.

"What in the Valar is going on here?!" Frodo yelled as he stepped out in the way of a group of red-faced and enraged hobbits. "I do not believe I invited you boys into my house, so, if you would be so kind, leave us be!"

"Out of me way, you cracked son of a mongrel dog!" one of the men snapped, grabbing Frodo by the shirt collar and raising him off the floor. "It is I who suggest you leave this place for good, if you know what's best for ye."

Tansy cried out and took a step towards her husband before being forcefully pushed down by a stray arm being thrown out towards Frodo. Calla, Caleb, and Frodo-lad screamed and backed away from the ensuing violence.

"Help!! Someone!!" Calla screamed at the top of her lungs. "Sam! Rosie! Where are you?!"

"Oi! Now get off of him now!" Sam's voice came from the side door leading to a small garden patch beside the hobbit hole. He ran towards the crowd of angry hobbit farmers and other folk and tried to get his master free of the leader's strong grip. The others gathered around him and began nailing him with punches while another came out to hold down Tansy as she tried to make her way towards Frodo again.

Calla and Caleb watched the growing commotion in complete terror before dashing off towards Sam and Rosie's bedroom down another hall and slammed their door shut. Calla leaned back against the door, eyes wide and breathing coming in short, labored gasps. Caleb ran towards Frodo-lad's crib and gently laid him inside and running back towards his sister.

"Sis?" came his frightened voice beside her.

"Yes," Calla whispered.

"What do we do?"

Calla didn't answer for a minute. She closed her eyes and let a few stray tears leak through before saying, "I don't know..."

Both went silent as they heard footsteps running down their hallway and then pass away. They listened intently for any other noise. Calla, after hearing very little noise from outside, decided to open the door a crack and peek out. It was a bad idea for the door was pushed open roughly and another red-faced hobbit man came barging in, staring the two children down.

"Now I've got you," he hissed out, stepping closer to them.

The siblings shrieked before dashing out around him on either side and out the door. The ran until they reached the kitchen and skidded to a halt before the back door leading down a unused path into town or to a grove of large pine trees. Not thinking twice, Calla and Caleb wrenched open the door and sprinted out down the path. Calla felt herself sliding down the moist grass on something soft, but didn't check to see what it was. She regained her balance and chased off after Caleb towards the grove of trees.

Sam grunted under the weight of the two hobbits holding his arms down behind his back. Frodo lay on the floor beside him, propped up on one arm and resting against Tansy shivering form.

"What do you want around here, Kip?" Sam snapped at the leader as he stood before them.

Kip smiled and shook his head. "You know what I want, gardner. I want you and yer cracked family out of here! We don't need ya and we sure don't want ya around. Life was good before you two started adventurin' together! Now every son of mine wants to grow up be just like ol' Sam Gamgee or Great Mr. Baggins, here, instead of bein' sensible, hard working hobbits."

"Well," came Frodo's strained voice. "That's not our fault..."

"It tis and I know it!" Kip yelled, stamping his foot.

Rosie watched from behind a corner of the front hall as the hobbits gathered about Frodo, Tansy and Sam. She had heard the noise and come running but stopped when everyone had settled and saw the scene before her.

'I've got to do something,' she thought. Sam caught her eye and he glanced over at her for a moment before quickly turning back towards Kip. Kip turned to see where Sam's eye had gone and Rosie jumped a little and ducked back behind the corner.

"What are you lookin' at, gardner?" Rosie heard Kip sneer at Sam.

"Nothin'," came the reply. "Nothing at all."

Rosie sighed for a moment before creeping away from the scene and towards the still open door. Once free of Bag End, Rosie dashed out to find the Shiriff, hoping to get some help from him.

"Boss."

Kip turned to see one of his lackeys coming into the sitting room looking disgruntled.

"What?" Kip said, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I lost 'em, boss. They got away from me."

"You lost them. How could you lose a couple o' kids?" Kip cried.

Tansy, Frodo and Sam gasped silently.

"Sorry, boss. They just ran out somewhere and I didn't catch 'em."

Kip groaned and gave the man a swift whack on the face before turning back to the matter at hand.

"Well, it seems I don't got your kids as ransom, but we've all gots to make sacrifices once in a while."

"Excuse me, my fair gentle-hobbits, but... am I interrupting something?"

The group turned and looked and saw on the of Hobbiton's shiriffs standing outside the entrance to the sitting room. His face was set in a firm scowl and his hand was grasping his night stick tightly. Rosie came walking out from behind him, a smug look on her face.

"Oh, Rosie! Thank goodness," Tansy said in relief.

"I had a feelin' we were missing someone other then those kids," Kip mumbled to himself.

"All right, you _fine_ sirs, if you'll just follow me, my friends and I will take you somewhere nice and comfy," the shiriff said to them all, motioning for them to follow. They hung their heads and submitted, allowing themselves to be tied up and marched out of the large hobbit hole one-by-one.

Once they were all out of the house, Rosie dashed over, shut the door and locked it tight and then ran back over to her friends and husband.

"Goodness, is everyone all right?" Rosie asked, helping Tansy stand and watching Sam practically carry Frodo over to a chair.

"I'm fine, just a little bruise on my side, but it's nothing to worry about," Tansy replied. "Frodo was hit somewhere in the chest, I think."

"Yeah, he did," Sam confirmed as he showed Rosie the red spot in the center of Frodo's bare chest.

"I'll get some cold towels to place on it," Rosie said. "I'm only glad Elanor went out to stay with my parents today."

"Oh no! The kids!" Tansy cried, hands going to her mouth. "Where are they?!"

Tansy rushed towards her and Frodo's bedroom, but Calla and Caleb were nowhere to be found. She then checked Calla and Elanor's bedroom, but they were there either. Nor were the siblings in Caleb's room or in Rosie and Sam's.

"I can't find them!" Tansy wailed, feeling complete helplessness overwhelm her.

"Check outside," Frodo said from his place in the chair. "They may have run out and hidden somewhere out in the garden."

Tansy nodded and headed towards the kitchen's backdoor. She looked around and saw no sign of her young ones. She followed the barely visible path out the door until she caught a glimpse of something very muddied up but familiar. Picking it up, she realized it was Calla's hand-made doll. She gasped and clutched it to her chest, tears falling down her face.

"Oh, where are you two?" she whispered, closing her eyes and hanging her head.

**TBC...**

_AN - Hey, hey!! I'm on a roll here! Check me out, another update and within a week of the last one. Perhaps I'll keep this streak up, or not! I hope I do, 'cause I'm certainly loving this. Well, hope you enjoy this new chapter. I'll have to admit, it was a little boring where it was supposed to be slightly violent, but I could never wright violent scenes... hope it's good either way though. Let me know!!_

_Aurora_


	7. Lost

**Live and Learn**

**By Shadow Hybrid**

**Chapter 7 - Lost**

Calla searched around the dimly lit forest for signs of her younger brother, her chest heaving up and down from the run down the path. Stopping by a small sapling, the young lass put a hand against the rough bark and leaned heavily against it, panting. She listened for signs of another hobbit around, but couldn't seem to hear anything but her own breaths. As she listened closer, she could finally make out the sounds of someone else breathing as heavily as she was.

"Caleb?" she called out. She wiped muddied hands on the skirt of her sundress and walked around the tree.

"Caleb?"

"Here," came the breathless reply. Calla followed the voice a little farther forward before finding her brother sitting amongst a circle of bushes. His face and hands were covered in dirt and his light brown eyes looked up at her in relief.

"Good…" Caleb whispered. "You found me…"

Calla sat down beside him and pulled him close to her side. They hugged for a short moment before Caleb pulled away and looked at their surroundings.

"I don't know where we are..." he finally said to Calla. "It's dark. I've never been outside in the dark."

"Me neither," Calla replied, running a hand nervously through Caleb's dark brown curls.

"D-do you think Mama and D-dad are out looking for us...?" Calla could hear the beginnings of tears in her brother's words and she hugged him closer. She didn't answer him right away and he called her name again.

"Calla...?"

She sighed. "I hope so, Caleb… I really do."

***

Inside Bag End, Tansy was pacing back and forth in the parlor, a look of near hysterics plainly visible on her face. Frodo sat in an armchair with a cold compress wrapped around the sore spot on his chest watching his wife helplessly. Rosie stood over by Sam at the front door, talking with the shiriff.

"Don't you worry now," he said to them. "We'll have them back right quick, and no mistake."

"I surely hope so," Rosie whispered back, clinging tightly to Sam's cream-colored shirt. She glanced over at Tansy worriedly and sighed.

"Good night, folks. We'll let you know if we find any sign," the shiriff said after a while, tipping his feathered hat at them.

"Knock at any time," Sam said. "Whatever the hour. We want news as soon as you have it."

The shiriff nodded again and ambled back down the lane and out of the gate. Sam shut the door behind him and then walked back into the sitting room with Rosie following closely behind.

"It's getting dark!" Tansy finally blurted out when Rosie and Sam entered. "We have to go out and look."

"Tansy," Rosie walked up slowly to her frantic friend and placed her hands on Tansy's shoulder. "It would do no good. We wouldn't be able to find them in the dark, and what if we were to get lost ourselves? The lanterns have only so much oil in them, and would probably go out in the middle of the search..."

Tansy's body shook in her friend's arms and she collapsed against her chest, tears falling freely from her light brown eyes. Rosie shushed her and stroked her light red curls in a soothing manner, giving Sam a worried look. Slowly, Rosie led Tansy over to a chair near Frodo and set her down. Making sure her friend was comfortable, the group of grown hobbits jumped when they heard a loud wail from down the hall.

"That must be Frodo-lad..." Rosie said breathlessly. "He's awake now... I best go check on him."

Rosie left the room in a rush of skirts and Sam stayed within the parlor, looking out the window every so often for signs of the shiriff. He sighed and wiped a hand down his face in anxiety and frustration.

"What did the shiriff say?" Frodo finally asked his friend, grunting a little as he tried to sit up in his chair.

"Nothing more than what we didn't already know..." Sam answered softly, taking a seat on a bench by the window. "Him and his men are going out searching for your young ones and they'll let us know when they find anything."

"I wish I knew they were all right," Frodo whispered, readjusting the compress on his chest once more. "I feel helpless... and I do not like it."

"None of us do, Mr. Frodo... There's naught much else we can do at this point thought. Not til morning, that is..."

Tansy took in a shuddering breath and leaned her head back against the cushion of the armchair. "I won't be able to sleep tonight..." she whispered, closing her eyes slowly and letting more tears seep out.

"Me neither, Tansy..." Frodo replied. "Me neither."

TBC...

A/N - Oh... my... gosh... An update, an actual update. Read it, enjoy it, and let me know what you think of it. It's a small chapter, I know. But for now, this is, I think, a good way to get things up and moving again. I hope anyone who reads enjoys it!! I would greatly appreciate reviews!

Aurora


	8. A Search Party

**Live and Learn**

**By Shadow Hybrid**

**Chapter Eight: A Search Party**

A faint snore broke the quiet reverie of Calla's dreams and she slowly opened her eyes at the intrusive noise. Still blurry from sleep, Calla blinked her eyes a few times to see her surroundings more clearly. The young lass was jolted awake by the sheer realization of where she found herself and memories of the previous night rushed back to her in an avalanche.

Calla sat upright, stretching out the kinks in her back as she did so. Reaching a hand out, she gasped when she came in contact with another curly-haired head and sighed with relief when she realized it was only young Caleb. He snorted and shifted to lie on his back but refused to wake up.

Leaving her younger brother for the moment, Calla took the opportunity to quietly investigate their whereabouts. From what she could tell, the siblings had run right into a small clearing, surrounded nearly entirely by small shrubs and overbearing trees. She couldn't make out from where they had come from or where they should head off next.

"Calla."

Calla turned her head at the sound of someone sleepily saying her name. She smiled when she saw Caleb looking up at her, rubbing the sleep out of his light brown eyes.

"It's about time you woke up," she said playfully. She forced a smile onto her face, hoping to keep back the knowledge that they could very well be lost. "You almost slept the morning away."

Caleb yawned. "Mum always says that to me in the morning…"

Suddenly, Caleb sat up straight and his eyes widened. Glancing around at their secluded area he gasped.

"Calla… Where are we? Where's Mum…?"

The young Baggins lass bit her lip slightly as Caleb began to figure out what was going on. He was always a quick-witted young hobbit, even for a two year old, and it was really no surprise that he had figured it all out on his own. She walked over to her younger brother and sat down beside him. He turned to her with tears brimming in his eyes and grasped her hands.

"Where are we?" he asked again.

Calla gripped his hands tightly in her own and replied, "I don't know."

***

Day broke slowly in the Baggins-Gamgee hobbit hole, and Tansy shifted and fidgeted impatiently for the sun to rise over the hills. She had barely moved from the window in her and Frodo's bedroom, waiting for the light to seep in throughout Hobbiton. She had watched Frodo shift and mutter things restlessly in his sleep while it had eluded her for the entire night.

'Please be all right, my little ones,' she pleaded for the umpteenth time that early morning.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door, making Tansy jump slightly. Footsteps could be heard rushing down the hallway and then Sam's voice greeting whomever it was at the door. Slowly, Tansy pried her eyes away from the window and towards the closed bedroom, willing her feet to move forward and out into the hallway. Once there, Mrs. Baggins was able to hear Sam's voice and that of the shiriff from the night before.

"We followed a couple sets of footprints out into the wooded area not far from your home," she heard the shiriff explain. "But, the farther we went in, the harder it was the find them. Grass doesn't keep a shape for very long, especially this time of year, and it was darn near impossible to find any sign of someone passing through."

"Did you happen to find anything else?" Sam asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Tansy peeked around a corner, watching the exchange with tired, yet worried eyes. The shiriff nodded and reached into one of the pockets of his dark colored breeches. He handed Sam a wrinkled piece of paper and the gardener took it, unfolding it bit by bit.

"We found that piece of paper not too far away from where the footprints ended. We figured you all would want to see it and identify it," the shiriff said to him.

Sam said nothing for a long moment, staring at whatever the small bit of paper showed him. He nodded after a while and thanked the shiriff for the information. The stout shiriff tipped his hat once again and left back down the lane.

"Sam," Tansy finally said, walking out from her hiding place. "What is that?"

"Miss Tansy," Sam said breathlessly, obviously startled by her unexpected appearance.

"I'm sorry," she said tiredly, shuffling towards him. "I just heard someone at the door and wanted to know what was going on…"

Sam just nodded and smiled weakly at Tansy, holding his hand out to her with the piece of paper grasped within it. She took it slowly and unfolded, smiling at what she found there.

"This must have been what Caleb was working so hard for Calla for her birthday," Tansy said quietly. "It surely is a lovely picture, and I'm sure Calla is missing it by now."

Sam nodded again. "The shiriff didn't say anything about finding them, but he did say that they found footprints that could have been Calla and Caleb's. I say we go out ourselves and have a look around."

"I agree," came another voice from down the hallway.

Tansy and Sam turned to see Frodo walking out of the bedroom stiffly, still clad in his nightshirt and a pair of breeches. He winced slightly as he walked, the bruise on his chest still tender from the night before.

"I agree," he said again. "But only Sam and I." This he said only to Tansy, and before she could utter an argument, he placed a pale finger to her lips.

"Dear Tansy, you've barely slept a wink all night. And don't think I haven't noticed. You rest, and Sam and I will go out and search for our children."

A single tear escaped Tansy's brown eyes, but she nodded in agreement at her husband's words. She did feel so tired, and sleep did sound like an appealing idea, no matter how worried she felt. Frodo smiled at her and hugged her to him, stroking a hand through her auburn curls.

"I'll have Rosie stay here and look after things," Sam said to both of them. "Elanor should be home soon, anyway, and Rose should be here when the cart arrives."

"It's settled then," Frodo replied, holding his wife out at arms length with a smile. "Sam and I will search for the children while you and Rosie rest and take care of things here."

It was still early morning when Sam and Frodo ambled their way to the back of the hobbit hole. Frodo shivered and huddled further inside his large brown jacket, checking the area around for the footsteps of his young children. Sam walked along beside him, his head also cast downwards towards the ground. Suddenly, the two friends heard footsteps rushing up behind them and Frodo turned surprised eyes at Tansy who ran up to him.

"Tansy, I thought…"

"I know," she quickly interrupted him. "But I just remembered something from the last night. I found Calla's doll that I showed her how to make not too far from here." Tansy pointed a little farther ahead of the group to where she had found the makeshift doll.

Frodo and Sam followed her finger to the spot, and quickly, Sam caught sight of a pair of footprints traveling down a nearly overgrown pathway. He motioned for Frodo to follow and he nodded. He gave his wife a small kiss on her forehead and ushered her back towards the hobbit hole before running off to follow Sam.

"Please be careful," Tansy whispered after Frodo's retreating form.

TBC…

A/N – Okay, so here's chapter eight, a little later than I had anticipated, but things in the "real" world tend to come up quite obtrusively at times for me… Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this new chapter! I sure had some fun getting back into the LotR fan base again!

Hit that button down yonder and give your feedback!

-Aurora


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